Supergirl survived its sometimes rocky first season on CBS only to have it moved to another network, and the production moved from Los Angeles, which was expensive, to the CW home base of Vancouver. This move now means that the series is firmly a part of the DCW, consisting of Arrow, The Flash, and Legends of Tomorrow. That fact was only briefly confirmed by the presence of Barry Allen in the show and network crossover episode "Worlds Finest." 

 

 

By all indications in this season premiere, the move has set the series free to take flight, pun intended. "The Adventures of Supergirl" overall has the feeling of a brand new pilot episode. A hard reset of the premise in order to align itself with the Superman mythos that it has always based itself on. The limited presence of Superman last season (to the point of never mentioning his name out loud in the pilot episode) felt intentional on the part of the writers, and seemed to contribute to the season's more experimental nature, as they tried to figure out, sometimes on an episode-by-episode basis, what worked and what didn't. This episode is full-hearted embrace of the Superman mythos, and the best way to show that to the viewers is to cast someone as Superman (Tyler Hoechlin, who I still see as young Michael Sullivan, Jr., Tom Hanks' son in Road to Perdition) and just dive right in. Superman feels like a natural part of the Supergirl world.

 

That approach works in some ways, and also has some drawbacks. Clark Kent/Superman's presence gives the series a light and bouncy energy boost, as we see immediately the two members of the House of El in action, working together to rescue another space vehicle that has malfunctioned in flight (What is it with the Superman mythos and rescuing airborne vehicles that malfunction?) It's corny as heck, and really, those on the Venture spacecraft were never really in danger due to the presence of both Supergirl and Superman, but it's an action sequence that works like gangbusters. That's always been the key to enjoying the stories of Superman, though: They're corny, represent positivity, optimism, and pure human ideals, even as they are filtered through two aliens from another planet. The stories have always worn its heart on its sleeves, and aren't too subtle with its overarching themes and tone.

 

 

We learn a little about Superman's life throughout the course of the episode. He, of course, is an ace reporter for The Daily Planet, a famous newspaper in Metropolis. He's in a steady, apparently loving relationship with Lois Lane. His arch-enemy, Lex Luthor, is currently in prison, a fact that informs on the main storyline of this episode in facilitating the introduction of adopted sister Lena Luthor (Katie McGrath), Luthorcorp's new CEO who intends to change the company to L Corp and make it be a force for good. In effect, the episode drives the point home that Clark Kent has the ideal life. He is perfect. Which leads into what looks to be the ongoing theme of the season: Kara trying to find a balance between her private life as Kara Danvers at CatCo, and her public life as Supergirl.

 

Last season was a trial run in every respect, but the overarching theme was that Kara was trying to figure out how to be Supergirl. After repressing her powers for so long, she had to learn how to use them to fight the aliens from Fort Rozz (and Aunt Astra and Non and Maxwell Lord). All of that has been pushed aside to portray her personal struggles with work-life balance. She has her duties as Supergirl down pat, aided by the arrival of her cousin Superman, although that relationship felt more like big brother-little sister than cousins due to Clark's longer experience than Kara of being on Earth and living among humans.

 

 

 

The weaker part of an otherwise superb episode focused on her being Kara Danvers. First, she is given an ultimatum by Cat Grant to choose a permanent position within CatCo, one that is higher than being Cat's assistant, which has been taken over by Miss Tessmacher. Kara's choice of being an investigative reporter is one I don't like because it hems too close to aping Superman's story. The show once prided itself on separating itself from the Superman mythos, but now seems to fully embrace it. Superman's arrival on the scene also makes her romantic relationship with James a non-starter. The relationship has never really gotten off the ground due to chemistry issues and other barriers (Lucy Lane being a primary one), and I think they both realize that they're better off friends than lovers. But then, how does that relationship grow and move forward? Like all premiere episodes, we'll have to wait and see.